Kodi: Facebook cracks down on controversial service

The open-source software is legal, but third-party add-ons can let users access illegal streams

Navi-X, a Kodi add-on that has been operating since 2007, recently shut down (Facebook/Kodi)

Facebook has banned the sale of products that enable customers to illegally access copyrighted content.

The company has updated its Commerce Policy, which list all of the products and services that aren’t allowed to be sold on the platform.

Though Facebook hasn't named Kodi specifically, the new rule has almost certainly been implemented because of the spread of so-called “fully loaded Kodi boxes”.

The open-source software is legal, but free third-party add-ons can allow users to access illegal streams for sports events, TV shows and films through it.

However, it isn’t completely straightforward to find and install these add-ons, and media players that come pre-loaded with the right links are growing increasingly popular.

Facebook’s Commerce Policy now describes “Products or items that facilitate or encourage unauthorised access to digital media” as “prohibited”.

Amazon made a similar announcement in April, but also said it will also destroy sellers’ inventory without reimbursement.

The EU Court of Justice (ECJ) recently ruled that the sale of media players deliberately pre-loaded with links to copyrighted content is illegal.

People who use these devices to stream such content are also breaking the law.

These legal issues contributed to the recent shutdown of Navi-X, a Kodi add-on that has been operating since 2007.

“It is great to see Facebook follow the likes of Amazon and eBay in making changes to their policies to prohibit the sale of illicit streaming devices on their platforms,” Kieron Sharp, the chief executive of FACT, told the Mirror.

“These days social media sites are more than just a place to share photos and comments with friends and family. Unfortunately, the fast-paced development of these sites are being exploited by opportunists for criminal activity which needs to be disrupted.”